West Ranch tops Etiwanda in extra innings for first trip to CIF-SS finals

STEVENSON RANCH — West Ranch pitching coach Jim Wagner had warned Ty Diaz that Etiwanda might intentionally walk back-to-back hitters. Wagner’s prediction came true in the bottom of the eighth inning, bringing the infielder to the plate.

“In the back of my mind, I was ready for it,” Diaz said. “And then when I actually did it, I knew I just needed one pitch to hit and with the infield in, just make hard contact.”

Diaz seized the moment and shot a walk-off hit past Etiwanda’s first baseman and into right field, sending pinch runner Aaden LaRoe across home plate and securing an 8-7 win that gives West Ranch its first spot in a CIF-SS championship game.

Ty Diaz with the walk-off hit for West Ranch in the eighth inning. Etiwanda intentionally walked two hitters to bring him up.

The Wildcats win 8-7 and advance to the CIF-SS Division 2 championship game, where they’ll take on Mater Dei. pic.twitter.com/cAy8BvJWZj

— Haley Sawyer (@haleymsawyer) May 28, 2025

The Wildcats (24-9), who hadn’t been in a semifinal since 2016, will play Mater Dei in the Division 2 championship game Friday or Saturday. The finals schedule will be announced Wednesday.

“It’s absolutely surreal,” West Ranch outfielder Ryan Oh said. “Our team’s figured it out. The past couple of years have been kind of rough, but I think everyone collectively is just figuring it out and working as a team.”

Oh dislocated his shoulder three times this season — most recently a month and a half ago — but has fearlessly contributed for the Wildcats as the seventh hitter in the lineup.

Etiwanda (17-13-1) scored two runs in the top of the eighth to take a 7-5 lead.

Oh laced a single to left-center field to start West Ranch’s rally in the bottom of the eighth after struggling to get a base hit earlier in the game.

“I just kept true to my swing,” Oh said. “I kept everything the same, and I knew one was going to come through. Towards the end of the game, it came through. I’m just glad it did.”

An error by Etiwanda’s third baseman allowed Oh to race home later in the inning and the momentum continued for the Wildcats. Landon Hu hit a sacrifice fly to score Connor Clayton and Caydin Wilson bunted.

LaRoe came in as a pinch runner and advanced to third on a passed ball, then Hunter Manning and Nolan Stoll were both walked intentionally before Diaz drove LaRoe in for the winning run.

Diaz already had three hits when he came up to bat in the eighth inning, adding to his confidence.

“I was seeing the ball really good today,” Diaz said. “Just staying inside the ball, trying to work the oppo gap, and it really worked out for us at the end.”

West Ranch built a cushion of five runs through the first three innings, only to have the lead taken away in the fourth frame.

Etiwanda sophomore Frank Gonzales doubled off the wall to drive in a run and a series of errors, plus three straight batters hit by a pitch by two different pitchers, handed the Eagles four more unearned runs with just one out.

Landon Hu ran to make a quick fly ball catch at second base to get Derick Kim out and Matthew Castrellon locked in to strike out Josh Adams to get the Wildcats out of the inning with the score tied, 5-5.

“Honestly, there was no real big speech,” West Ranch head coach Ryan Lindgreen said. “It was more about just trying to fight back and and win the next half. I think they all kind of got it that, hey, we had a bad inning, but that doesn’t mean we have to have a bad game.”

The Eagles took their only lead of the game in the eighth inning with an unearned run and Luke Mendoza hit an RBI double for a 7-5 advantage.

West Ranch has achieved a program-first in the final year of this coaching staff’s tenure. Lindgreen and several other assistant coaches, including Casey and Brady Burrill, are stepping down at the conclusion of the season.

“They’re amazing, from practice to school,” Diaz said of the coaches. “They want the best for you, and they’re going to keep doing the best for you. They’re going to give you everything they have when they get to the field. And it’s just really cool to have them.”